CarShare goes electric

CarShare goes electric

Motorists in Waterloo Region looking to reduce the impact driving has on the environment – and save a little cash – have that option, thanks to Grand River CarShare.

The non-profit co-operative officially launched the latest addition to its fleet when it unveiled its first electric vehicle, a 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle).

“Mitsubishi has built a normal car, but it’s electric,” said Grand River CarShare president Jason Hammond, whose electric car has been on the road since September. “It sits four adults comfortably, it drives normally and there is nothing unusual about the driving experience.”

The purchase of the hatchback-style vehicle was made possible through a $15,000 grant from the Region of Waterloo’s community environmental fund and a federal rebate of $8,000.

The i-MiEV is parked in the lot between the regional administration building and police station at 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener. The region has installed a charging station for the vehicle that is powered with renewable energy supplied by Bullfrog Power.

It takes seven hours to achieve a full charge, but the battery is more than half charged after only two hours. The vehicle has a range of 155 km on a single charge, more than enough to meet most Carshare needs as 80 per cent of trips made out of that location are 50 km or less, Hammond said.

Drivers must request a block of time to use the vehicle and a small buffer of about two hours is needed between reservations to charge the batteries for the next user. The Carshare guarantees at least a half charged battery (or about 80 km of driving) for every customer.

“Anywhere in the region is well within (the car’s) range,” Hammond said. Aside from the Carshare charging station on Frederick Street, Conestoga Mall has one, as well as the Kitchener Mitsubishi dealer on Ottawa Street.

Memberships can run as little as $40 per year, and fuel and insurance is included in the membership. For more details, visit www.grandrivercarshare.ca.